1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to passive seatbelt systems and more particularly to passive seatbelt systems which automatically fasten and unfasten the seatbelt about a passenger.
2. Prior Art
It has been generally accepted that since seatbelts protect passengers during a vehicular emergency such as a collision and therefore, the use of seatbelt is desirable. However, because of the complexity of putting on the passenger restrictive seatbelt, the feeling of oppression when wearing a seatbelt, etc., the proportion of seatbelt wearers is very low.
For the above reason, passive seatbelt systems which can automatically fasten the seatbelt about a passenger after he has seated himself have been proposed. A typical type of passive seatbelt device has a guide rail fastened longitudinally to the roof side of the vehicle and a truck moving in this guide to which the outer end of a passenger restrictive seatbelt is fastened. This truck may be moved backward or forward by a motor to cause the passenger restrictive seatbelt to approach and recede from the passenger seat to automatically fasten and unfasten the seatbelt about the passenger.
However, these passive seatbelt devices require a quide rail to be fastened along the length of the roof side. Furthermore, since these devices also require pulleys be fastened to the inner body of the car to carry the wire which transmits the driving power from the motor to the truck moving in the guide rail, assembly is extremely difficult and the form is very complex.